My Second First Day

When you enter a new position, there are a lot of firsts,
far more than you’d ever imagine. First day of work, first day of classes,
first meeting, first training, the list goes on. Today was my first ‘first day
of the second semester’. And it was a world away from my first day of school in
the fall when I started this new position. In
many ways, it was similar to the first day in the fall- new students filed in,
nervous and unsure of where they were supposed to be. Scrambling around campus
was a little more difficult than it was when students hadn’t yet arrived. There
was more grumbling about being up early than there had been before.

But for me, it was different. I’m different. And our
students treat me differently. Today, seeing students pass as I walked around
they greeted me, saying they were excited to be back. I was more at ease as I
asked students how their first day was going, helping them navigate the receipt
of new commuter stickers and distributions of locker combinations. And a few
students even stopped by just to say hi, or to compliment me on the good job
I’m doing.

No matter how many first days you have (and at each job,
you’ll have those uncomfortable firsts), these moments will warm your heart and
make the difficult firsts all worth it. You’ll find your stride, people will
come to know and understand you, and the tentative feelings and worries will
wash away. But at the same time, those moments don’t stop. The nature of our
work allows things to continually be new, exciting, nervewracking and
wonderful. So enjoy those moments, feel them, remember them, and carry them and
the accompanying lessons with you throughout your career.

When did you know that you felt comfortable in your new role? What
steps do you take to get comfortable in a new group?